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Public Relations and Marketing | Published May 06, 2020
College of Lake County (CLC) was awarded more than $4.9 million in funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed March 27. Emergency cash grants are now available to CLC students whose lives have been affected by the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19 in support of continuing their educational goals.
As required by the act, at least half the monies go directly to CLC students in the form of emergency cash assistance grants up to $1,500 to pay for housing, food, course materials, technology, health care and childcare. The remaining portion will pay for the college’s added expenses that resulted from the COVID-19 impact, such as the remote increasing demand for cybersecurity, training, cleaning and delivery of instruction.
“We appreciate the support of our legislators and government to provide resources for those impacted, and to help them continue toward their goal of earning a degree or certificate,” said CLC President Dr. Lori Suddick. “This will greatly expand the reach of our initial Lancers Keep Learning funds, helping the students with financial assistance and resources to cover critical basic needs, such as food, utility bills including rent and cell phone bills and technology costs and tools to continue to learn from home.”
The college and CLC Foundation established an initial $267,500 fund for immediate availability. For details, visit www.clcillinois.edu/lancerskeeplearningfund. These funds include a $50,000 gift from the Julian Grace Foundation for emergency needs and $25,000 from the John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation for undocumented students.
“The emergency aid from CLC reduced the stress that my family is going through during this crisis,” said student Miz Hernandez. “Not everyone was lucky enough to receive the $1,200 stimulus check that excludes undocumented immigrants like myself. I'm thankful for the college’s help during these harsh times.”
The roughly $2 trillion CARES Act, designed to support industries affected by COVID-19, includes $14 billion in emergency higher education relief. The funding for colleges and universities is administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
About College of Lake County:
The College of Lake County is a comprehensive community college committed to equitable high-quality education, cultural enrichment and partnerships to advance the diverse communities it serves in northeastern Illinois. Offered at three campuses in Grayslake, Vernon Hills and Waukegan or online, college classes are affordable and accessible to help each student achieve academic, career and personal goals. More than 70,000 students graduated with degrees and certificates since the college opened in 1969. The College of Lake County is the only higher-education institution ranked among the top 15 best places to work in Illinois by Forbes and is a national leader in many areas, including sustainability and conservation.